Deniliquin sheep sale report

Matthew and Laurel Dunmore, Ian Geddes and John Dunmore with the Dunmore’s top priced pen of second cross suckers, which sold for $230 a head.

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Lamb numbers eased a little, while sheep numbers jumped to 10,000 head at the Deniliquin sheep sale on Tuesday, as grazing conditions in the area quickly deteriorate in the warm and windy start to spring.

There were only a few pens of quality young lambs in each agent’s run before weight and condition dropped away, with the bulk of the yarding under 20kg carcase weight.

The usual buying group operated in a cheaper sale as prices eased down to reflect the price corrections the industry has experienced in the past 10 days.

As Deniliquin is a fortnightly sale, some lamb categories recorded falls of $20 to $40/head compared to the previous market held on September 4.

Prices were within trend lines of more recent prime sales.

The best of the young lambs weighing 24kg cwt and better sold from $188 to a top of $230/head to return estimated averages of 800c to 830c/kg cwt.

Bidding then become selective across the plainer young lambs showing less condition at $130 to $163/head, and agents did opt to pass-in some pens.

Store orders from Shepparton and north-east Victoria purchased a run of unshorn crossbred lambs at $121 to $136/head for a weaker price result based on size.

Quality in the old season lambs was very mixed with a lot of smaller pen-lots on offer, which caused a wide spread of carcase prices.

The sheep yarding was dominated by very big lines of station bred Merino ewes in very light condition.

The supply of heavy mutton was limited in comparison.

The heaviest ewes with reasonable fat cover did show price improvements to make from $126 to a top of $170/head to average around 500c/kg cwt.

The lightest Merino ewes sold from $23 to $85 to average around $66/head at lower carcase prices.

Top sales:

New Season Lambs – Oakwood, $240.

Old Lambs – C & K Simpson, $200.

Sheep – J T Fitzpatrick, $170.

Rams – S Fawns, $140.

~ Details provided by Meat and Livestock Australia and Elders Rural Services Deniliquin, on behalf of the Deniliquin Associated Agents.